Self-loading excavator.



No. 645,443. Pafented Mar. l3, woo.

- J. w. WEAVER.

I SELF LOADING EXCAVATOR.

(Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Shasta-Sheet l.

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Patented Ma r. l3, I900.

No. 645,443; J. W. WEAVER.

SELF LOADING EXCAVATOR.

(Application filed Jan. 8, 1899-) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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.. W E NOiRIs PETE! CO FNDTQLITHOY, WASHINGTON, D. C,

V J. W. WEAVER. SELF LOADING EXCAVATOR.

(Application filed Jan. :3 ISQQJ (m Model.) D 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 645,443. Patented'Ma'r. I3, I900.

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UNITED STATES JOHN NV. WEAVER, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

SELF-LOADING EXCAVATO R.

srEcIFIcA'rIoiv forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,443, dated March13, leoo.

Application filed January 3, 1899. Serial No. 701,080. (No model.)

T0 aZZ "ii/71,0712, it may concern: 4

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. WEAVER, a citizen of theUnitedStates,residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful'lmprovements in Self-LoadingExcavators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in' self-loading excavators inwhicha conveyor operates in conjunction with a plow to elevate the dirtas fast as excavated by the plow and deposit it in the bed of thevehicle to which the plow is attached; and the objects of myimprovements are, first, to provide a plow and conveyer in cooperativerelation that may be readily raised and lowered together independentlyof the frame of the vehicle to which they are movably attached; second,to provide a plow that will while so operatively attached to a conveyerturn horizontally with the front axle of the vehicle, so that whenlowered it will out the ground centrally to the front axle and in thedirection of its forward movement without affecting its operativerelation to the conveyer, and, third, to provide simple means forloading, hauling, and dumping the loaded dirt. I attain these objects bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is a side elevation of the machine, showing the mechanism for raisingand lowering the plow and conveyer together and for operating theconveyer. Fig. 2 is a side-elevation of the bed of the excavator,showing the mechanism for dumping the dirt therefrom; and Fig. 3 is'afront end elevation showing a part of the same mechanism. Fig. 4 shows aside elevation of an auxiliary cart which may be used in place of thebed shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 to receive the dirt from the conveyer andbe separately hauled to the dumpingplace while a similar one is beingloaded by the excavator. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of the frontend of the excavator with one front Wheel removed and a portion of theexcavator-frame broken away to show mechanism for raisingand loweringthe plow Fig. 6 is a top view of the same. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailview of spring Q and crankshaftmechanism for dumping. Fig. 8 is a sideview of the rear portion of the excavator with one wheel removed,showing an auxiliary cart in position for loading and having detachableshafts. Fig. 9 is a top view of the same.

Similar letters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views.

The bed A, supported by brackets Y, secured to frame 13, the frame B,having arch E, provided with braces X X and with axlebearings for therear wheels secured to the rear sides thereof, the coupling-bars O O,having cross-brace h and bearing 0 the front axle, having bearing 0pivoted to bearing 0 hounds O and tongue 0 constitute, with the wheels,the vehicle which carries the earth excavated and the mechanism forexcavating, loading, and unloading it.

D is a conveyor-frame, which is provided with an endless-sprocket-chainconveyer,having slack-adjusterfiand with shafts D and D having sprocketgear-wheels attached, adapted to operate the conveyer. Shaft D is alsoprovided with sprocket gear-wheel H,which is connected by sprocket-chainG, having idlers I I, to sprocket gear-wheel F, attached to one of therear wheels, whereby when the vehicle is moved forward the upper web ofthe conveyer is moved in the opposite direction.

Shaft D, extending horizontally through the sides of conveyer-frame Dnear its upper end,

is also provided with journal-bearings on each side of theframe,securing it to arch E,whereby the conveyer-frame D is pivoted atits upper endto arch E of frame B. From thence, inclining forward anddownward, conveyerframe D, together with braces Z Z, extendinghorizontally forward from its sides, and rack-post b, shouldered intobraces Z at its upper end and having arms I), embracing and attached tothe sides of frame D at its lower end, form a standard for plowshare J,having arch a, pivoted centrally to rack-post b, and

pivot .13 j Plowshare J is also provided with guiding device 9, havingarms g, pivoted to the sides of plowshare J, and body portion g",extending loosely through eyebolt 9 attached to hounds O in line withtongue C The cogs of rackpost 19 mesh into pinion-Wheel 0, having shaft0, journaled horizontally through couplingbars 0. Lever K, which ispivoted on shaft 0, is provided with a ratchet for operating a ournaledinto the end of frame D.

ratchet-wheel secured to the same shaft and with a spring-dog e toconnect it with rack d and hold it, and with it the plow, in any desiredposition, whereby when lever K is movedforward the plowshare J togetherwith conveyer-frame D, is lowered until the point of share J engageswith the ground-and is driven into it to anydesired depth within thelimits of the movement of rack b as the machine is moved forward,whichforward movement also operates to set the conveyer in motion, and theexcavated soil forced upward by plowshare J falls onto the movingconveyer and is carried backward and upward to the upper endofconveyor-frame D, from which it falls into bed A of the excavator. It isapparent that as the front axle isturned on its pivoted bearing O bytongue 0 guiding device g will turn plowshare J on its pivotsj and a andkeep the nose of the plow directed central to the front axle and in thedirection of its movement and that in any position the plow J may bethus made to assume it will in its forward movement deposit the soil itexcavates onto the conveyer. In raising and lowering plow Jguidingdevice g,passingloosely through eyebolt g accommodates itself tothe movement of the plow up and down without affecting its adaptabilityto guide the plow in whatever position it may be, while the range ofmovement of share J, with its support, under control of lever K enablesthe operator to adjust the depth of the cut or to remove the plow fromthe ground to pass obstacles or while the load is being hauled to thedump.

For convenience of dumping the loaded dirt bed A is provided withtrap-doors R in its bottom, adapted to be closed when open by levers P,operated simultaneously by connecting-bar 0, through connecting-rod N,extending for convenience within reach of the operator. Trap-doors R arehinged to anglebar supports V, secured to the bottom of bed A, at eachside thereof, by the main body portions of levers P, to which they arefixedly attached, and which extend from side to side of bed A, andthrough holes in the perpendicular webs of angle-bar supports V, thelever portions being formed bybending the rods of which they areconstructed at right angles to their main body portions. Trapdoors Rhave attached to them supportingbars S, the ends of which extend beyondthe ends of the doors R, and, corresponding to the position thereof whenthe doors R are closed, the perpendicular webs of supports V are cutaway to allow the doors R to close between them without interferencefrom bars S. Embraced within the inner angles of supports V andconforming thereto are anglebars U, which are movably attached tosupports V by bearings V. The perpendicular webs of angle-bars U arelikewise cut away at intervals corresponding with the bearings of leversP and to form latches T. At their forward ends angle-bars U areconnected by crank-shaft W, having journals 2' and bearings 70, attachedto the front end of bed A, the movement of which is limited by bearingsV and resisted by spring Q, whereby when the crank portion of the shaftis pulled forward by connecting-rod L, operated by footlever M, supportsU will, be moved a short distance forward; and when the pressure isremoved from lever M spring Q will return them to their normal position,in which, the doors being closed, they are supported in such position bylatches T underneath bars S. When it is desired to dump a load from bedA by pressing on lever M, crank-shaft W is drawn forward, moving with itbars U and latches T from underneath bars S, thereby rcleasing doors Rsimultaneously, which dropping instantly dump the load from bed A. Theload being dumped, by pulling rod N all of the doors R aresimultaneously moved upward, bars S are brought into contact with therounded ends of latches T, whereby the bars U are wedged forward againstthe pressure of spring Q until bars S have passed latches T, when thespring reacts and the doors are held closed by the latches T.

Where the haul for dumping is long and the excavator can be moreprofitably employed in excavating than in hauling, carts A may besubstituted for bed A, which may be removed for the purpose. Cart A,which is constructed substantially in the form of the ordinarydumping-cart, is provided at its rear end with any suitable andconvenient means of draft attachment to frame B when backed into theposition of bed A in frame B (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) and atits front end with ready means of attaching and detaching shafts while ahorse is hitched therein and adapted when so attached to sustain theoverbalance of weight of the load in the front end of the car. a cart A,having the shafts detached, may be backed into and attached to frame Band the excavator moved forward until the cart is loaded. WVhen loaded,a horse may be detached from an empty cart by detaching the shafts, andtheshafts being then attached to the loaded cart and the draftattachments to frame B releasedthe loaded cart may be hauled away to thedump while the empty cart, similarly attached to the excavator, is beingloaded.

I am aware that prior to my invention selfloading excavators have beenmade with conveyers operating in conjunction with a plow that turns withthe front axle and cuts the ground centrally to it in the direction ofits movement. I therefore do not claim such a combination broadly; but IvVhat I do claim as my invention, and dc sire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. In a self loading excavator, a bodyframe mounted on front and rearwheels, adapting it to be moved over the ground like a wagon, comprisingside beams rigidly connected by a plurality of connections, .the rearconnection being an arched beam having Thus provided,

axle-journals secured to its vertical sides upon which the rear wheelsare journaled, and forming an arched opening in the frame between therear portions of the side beams for receiving a dumping-cart or otherreceptacle for excavated soil, having means of attachment to the frame,in combination with a conveyer-frame pivotally attached at its rear endto the arch-beam of the body-frame and inclined forward and downwardtherefrom, and having its front end free and adapted to be raised orlowered independently of the body-frame and provided with a plow, meansto raise or lower the front end of the conveyer-frame and therewith theplow, a conveyer attached to the conveyer-frame, and means to operatethe conveyer by the movement of the rear wheels, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

2. In a self loading excavator, a bodyframe mounted on front and rearWheels, the

' front wheels being journaled on an axle cenand provided with a tongue,adapting the frame to be moved over the ground like a wagon, comprisingside beams rigidly connected by a plurality of connections, the rearconnection being an arched beam having axle-journals secured to itsvertical sides upon which the rear wheels are journaled, and forming anarched opening in the frame between the rear portions of the side beamsfor receiving a dumping-cart or other receptacle for excavated soil,having means of attachment to the frame, in combination with aconveyer-frame pivotally attached at its rear end to the arch-beam ofthe body-frame and inclined forward and downward therefrom and havingits front end free and adapted to be raised or lowered independently ofthe body-frame, and provided with a plow pivotally secured thereto andadapted to a limited horizontal rotation independently of theconveyer-frame, means to raise or lower the front end of theconveyer-frame and therewith the plow, means to turn the plowhorizontally with and as the front axle turns independently of theconveyer-frame, a conveyer attached to the conveyer-frame, and means tooperate the conveyer by the movement of the rear wheels, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

3. In a self-loading excavator, the combination of the frame B, havingthe arch E, coupling-bars C, O, and bearings (J and G and provided withwheels adapting it to be moved over the ground,with conveyer-frame D,provided with an endless-sprocket-chain conveyer, pivoted at its upperend to archE of frame B, and having its lower end free and provided withbraces Z, Z, and rack-post b, plow J, pivoted to frame D and itsrack-post b, and having guide 9 provided with eyebolt g means to raiseand lower the free end of frame D and with it plow J, and means tooperate the conveyer to carry the excavated soil away from the plow bythe forward movement of frame B on its wheels, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

4. The combination of an excavator-frame, mounted on front and rearwheels adapting it to be moved over the ground like a wagon, comprisingside beams having a plurality of rigid connections, the rear connectionbeing an arched beam having axle-journals secured to its vertical sidesupon which the rear wheels are journaled and forming an arched openingin the frame between the rear portions of the side beams, a dumping cartadapted to enter the arched opening between the sides of the frame,provided with means for attaching it to the frame and with detachableshafts and means carried by the frame to excavate soil and load it intothe cart by the forward movement of the excavator-frame on its wheels,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN W. WEAVER.

lVitnesses:

O. B. SNIDER, G110. W. DAY.

